Many studies have been conducted with intelligent, responsive and expressive animals, such as dolphins, whales, chimpanzees, gorillas and others, trying to bridge the gap of communication, understanding and interaction with humans. Distinctive audible “clicks” and chirps and other tones have been observed with dolphins in various functional pursuits and responses and such, indeed, have been used to identify some elements of behavior including in popular movies and television programs, such as the noted “Flipper” programs. (See, also, V. M. Janik, Science, Vol. 289,1355 (2000)). The “songs” of whales have been recorded and associated with courting, distress and other behavioral conditions. Somewhat similar sound emissions have also been noted with chimps and other primates, some of which have been stimulated to carry out elementary logic functions.
In all these efforts, however, the human researcher, trainer or communicator, in real-time interaction with the animals, has to re-interpret continually the various familiar sounds or gestures or movements as the animals prepare to perform or do behavioral or responsive patterns associated therewith. If only the animal could tell the human in human language each time it was performing, about to perform, responding to, or intending to embark on some behavioral pattern, or was reacting to conditions or stimuli, the researcher, trainer and/or communicator could be put on a new level of starting point to proceed onward in the interaction.
It is toward this end that the present invention is accordingly directed; the invention, in effect, putting human language utterances descriptive of the animal feelings, condition, needs, action or response effectively “in the mouth” of the animals—or at least making it seem so, for all intents and purposes.
Perhaps more importantly, moreover, the invention also enables more facile “communication” with speech-impaired humans who are deficient at least in speaking capability.